Chapter 6-Resentment III

"Phew..." Yang Jiahui finally took a break after serving the last customer for lunchtime. While a few more customers might walk in later, it wouldn't compare to the bustling lunch rush. In the next moment, the door once again swung open.

Yang Jiahui, almost sitting down, greeted, "Welcome!" Though she wore a friendly smile, her thoughts questioned who had disrupted her chance to rest.

It was Officers Tang Mi and Ma Youwei.

Zhao Bojing came out from the kitchen, anticipating their arrival. After exchanging greetings, everyone including Lu Xiyun settled in a more secluded area.

Yang Jiahui didn't join them, as someone needed to be at the cashier in case a customer walked in. She took a seat behind the counter while checking her messages.

Ma Youwei began, "Last time, we requested the videos from the day Zhang Tongtong was here, as well as a few days before and after. The recording inside the cafe didn't show anything suspicious."

The video showed her arriving and ordering food. Following Yang Jiahui's recommendation for better lighting, she chose a table by the window. It also provided convenience for taking pictures with fewer people passing by. After a while, she appeared to receive a text message or email on her phone. Her expression shifted from bewilderment to elation upon seeing it, and she hurriedly left.

"However, we noticed a suspicious car in the recorded video facing outward. Each time she visited the cafe, a particular car was present. On the opening day, this car drove in the same direction as Zhang Tongtong when she left. It didn't appear again afterward."

He then presented a photo displaying the side view of a black SUV. The vehicle appeared to be in poor condition, with noticeable damage and rusty parts.

He continued, "This is the car. Due to the angle, we were unable to see the license plate number. Have any of you seen this car before?"

Zhao Bojing examined the car in the photo."No, I haven't seen this car before."

He typed 'see?' in his note-taking app on his phone, showing it to Lu Xiyun while pointing at the car. The Sunday lessons proved effective as communication began to flow more smoothly.

Lu Xiyun grasped the question, look at the photo before shaking his head in response.

Tang Mi stood up and walked over to Yang Jiahui, showing her the photo, but she didn't recognize it either. They were left with no choice but to find other means to gather information about the car. Unfortunately, the driver seemed well-acquainted with the blind spots in public cameras, successfully avoiding any reveal of the license plate number. Furthermore, they strategically navigated through streets lacking surveillance, making it difficult to trace their movements.

The two officers sat in silence for a few moments after hearing everyone's answers. Zhao Bojing also didn't dare to interrupt. As for Lu Xiyun, he remained silent as usual. The silence was then suddenly broken by a deep and soothing voice that said, "Hello, we meet again."

The three people turned their heads toward the voice, while Lu Xiyun shifted his gaze due to the shadow. In front of them stood an elegant yet sharp-looking man.

Lu Xiyun recognized him instantly. He then shifted his chair closer to Zhao Bojing.

Zhao Bojing was the next to react. He stood up and asked with confusion, "Hello, did we meet before?" He usually spent most of his time in the kitchen, so he didn't interact with customers as frequently as Yang Jiahui.

"Hello, my name is Ke Yixing. I drop by here occasionally. Yesterday, I saw him at the street market, and I gave him a keychain," the man said, glancing at Lu Xiyun.

Zhao Bojing recalled the plush black kitten keychain that Lu Xiyun was holding. The teenager even kept it close, except when he went to shower.

"My name is Zhao Bojing, the pastry chef, in case you didn't know. I initially thought he bought it himself. Thank you for getting him the keychain." Zhao Bojing observed that the man continued to glance at Lu Xiyun, who, having recognized the man, showed no further acknowledgment. He motioned for Lu Xiyun to stand up.

Lu Xiyun stood beside Zhao Bojing, partially hiding behind him.

"His name is Lu Xiyun. He has some difficulty hearing, so he might not always respond. He's not intentionally being rude. We usually communicate using gestures, simple visuals, and basic written words."

"Oh, I see. I initially thought he was simply very shy." Ke Yixing didn't display any reactions on his face upon learning that Lu Xiyun couldn't hear well. However, he felt a bit surprised inside. It explained why the teenager didn't speak to him at all yesterday or just now.

Ke Yixing looked at Lu Xiyun, whose eyes revealed a hint of vigilance. He smiled and waved his hands at Lu Xiyun.

In response, Lu Xiyun remained frozen. He shifted his gaze outside the window and coincidentally witnessed a guy handing a bag to a girl. The girl saw the bag's contents, and her expression suddenly brightened as she rushed to hug the guy. Lu Xiyun associated this scene with the recently learned word, 'gift.' 

An awkward silence lingered until he retrieved something from his pants pocket - the plush black kitten keychain and held it. With the other empty hand, he held his palm facing upward and directed his gaze at Ke Yixing.

Ke Yixing understood that the teenager was not suggesting shaking hands, as his entire body, including the outstretched hand, was positioned behind Zhao Bojing. It didn't seem like the teenager wanted anything from him unless he thought there was another keychain to give out? But that seemed unlikely.

After pondering for a few seconds, Ke Yixing positioned his hand with his palm facing up as well. 

Upon noticing that the man had copied the gesture, Lu Xiyun reached into the pocket of his apron, then pulled his hand back out, now in a fist position, and extended it slowly toward the party. He stopped just before making contact, hesitating momentarily until he decided to place his hands directly on the man's palm. He opened his hand, letting a shiny wrapped candy drop into the man's palm. As soon as it dropped, he quickly withdrew his hand.

Although the entire exchange felt long, it took only a minute.

Upon witnessing this action, Zhao Bojing was surprised, knowing that Lu Xiyun rarely, if ever, took the initiative to physically interact with people. It had taken weeks for the teenager to become comfortable enough with him to avoid being startled by sudden touches, such as a tap on the shoulder. Consequently, Lu Xiyun was not yet at that level of comfort with Yang Jiahui and Zhang Tongtong.

As for Ke Yixing, he found it amusing and even chuckled. The teenager resembled a cat, treating him as if he were a potentially dangerous being. However, Ke Yixing understood that it was Lu Xiyun's way of expressing gratitude for the black kitten keychain by reciprocating with candy.

Lu Xiyun perceived the keychain as a gift. In some of the pictures illustrating the meaning of 'gift' that Zhao Bojing had shown him, the recipient would also reciprocate by giving something back to the giver. Thus, he simply imitated that behavior.

After concentrating his attention on Lu Xiyun, Ke Yixing turned to the other two people and glanced at the photo on the table. Throughout this entire time, Tang Mi and Ma Youwei didn't interrupt or leave, as they intended to inform Zhao Bojing and the others to contact them if they spotted the car.

"Are you looking for this car? I might have seen it before," Ke Yixing inquired, studying the photo. Tang Mi, hopeful for a lead, asked, "Please tell us anything, even if you're not sure. Any small details may help in our investigation."

"I've seen this car several times when I drove here. My sister was eagerly anticipating the opening of this cafe. She had me drive by on several days to remind me to come with her on opening day."

Tang Mi quickly followed up, "Do you remember any letters or numbers on the license plate?" 

Ke Yixing, already impressive for remembering the car from more than weeks ago, said, "Regrettably, I can't recall any of it, but my car's video surveillance might have captured it."

"Can we take a look at your video surveillance?" Tang Mi's hope wavered briefly at the word 'regrettably,' but it was reignited. 

"Of course, but you might need to wait. The car I'm driving today is not the one I drove on those days. I can have someone call you once it's ready."

"That's fine! We appreciate your help." They exchanged contact information, expressing gratitude for Ke Yixing's assistance.

Upon seeing Ke Yixing's business card, Tang Mi and Ma Youwei were internally shocked. Initially thinking his name was a mere coincidence when he introduced himself to Zhao Bojing, they discovered it was not.

This man was none other than the head of the Ke Group, the most powerful conglomerate in Z City. Their business spanned various sectors, including entertainment, medical, food, and electronics, with an extensive reach into other cities. Ke Yixing held the remarkable distinction of being the youngest conglomerate head at the age of 21, even younger than Zhao Bojing, who was 24.

Given Ke Yixing's infrequent exposure to the media and limited access for the public, his face remained unknown to many. Only important figures and those with specific relationships had the privilege of seeing him directly.

Tang Mi and Ma Youwei composed themselves after the initial shock. Expressing gratitude for the cooperation, they took their leave.

- - -

Ke Yixing had initially come to the cafe to order coffee. Before placing his order, he unexpectedly noticed Lu Xiyun sitting at a table, so he approached him. He didn't expect that two of the individuals at the same table were police officers, as they were in plainclothes until their conversation revealed their identity.

Regarding why he hadn't noticed Lu Xiyun working during his previous visits, it was because Lu Xiyun was consistently in the kitchen at those times. During busy periods, such as the cafe's opening day, Lu Xiyun would move to the front, don a cap and mask, and have his back facing the customers while preparing drinks. 

After the police officers left, Ke Yixing excused himself from Zhao Bojing and Lu Xiyun, "I will go place my order now." Zhao Bojing nodded, returning to his work as well.

Lu Xiyun went behind the counter to assist Yang Jiahui as a family of six and a group of friends entered. He checked the order details and started preparing the drinks. Meanwhile, Ke Yixing waited for his order to be prepared, watching Lu Xiyun at work and thinking about their encounter from the previous day.

- - -

Yesterday, with a day off from work, Ke Yixing decided to cook a delicious dinner for the evening. He headed to the street market to purchase fresh ingredients, enjoying the experience of browsing

While walking around the market, he noticed a teenager in a navy blue hoodie standing at the same spot, deeply engrossed in something. Initially dismissing it, he continued his shopping until he had everything he needed. To his surprise, the teenager was still there, seemingly like a statue.

Realizing that the teenager hadn't moved, Ke Yixing decided to purchase the plush black kitten keychain with blue topaz eyes for him, suspecting that the young person might have used up their allowance. He then turned towards the teenager, who was still standing there, and held out the keychain.

Initially unable to see the teenager's face clearly due to the distance, Ke Yixing took note of his silky black hair and brown eyes illuminated by the sunlight creating a beautiful appearance The teenager's pink lips were being bitten, revealing a hint of red, and while his facial features were not fully developed, his good looks were evident.

Thinking the teenager was shy, Ke Yixing held up the keychain and said, "Here, this is for you." However, there was no response or movement from the person. Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, Ke Yixing decided to put the keychain in his pocket, managing to do so despite the initial avoidance.

As he left, the teenager remained frozen, unaware that Ke Yixing could still see him from his distance position. The person took out the keychain, cradling it in his palms as if protecting a precious treasure. Even when his older brother or friend returned, he continued walking while fixated on the keychain.

Witnessing this, Ke Yixing smiled once again before finally departing.

---

Lu Xiyun placed the coffee on the counter and activated the electronic pager, signaling that Ke Yixing's order was ready. He avoided doing this task, but Yang Jiahui was occupied, and he knew he couldn't always rely on her. The pager in Ke Yixing's hand lit up, emitting a beeping sound to indicate his order was prepared.

Lu Xiyun gazed down at the counter until he noticed the hand grabbing the drink. Glancing up, he saw Ke Yixing looking at him. Their eyes met, and he quickly averted his gaze. Ke Yixing then placed his hand on the counter and began writing something. He repeated the motion slowly three more times before leaving.

After Ke Yixing departed, Lu Xiyun looked toward the entrance.

---

In a silent basement, where the slightest sound could be heard, a person crouched in a corner weakly uttered, "Feifei, are you here...?"